Dhoni has to deliver

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Each time MS Dhoni walks out there seems to be a fictitious impression that an inchoate mass of ideas get generated at the back of his mind.

The kind of strategies that would bail his team out of any rat-trap. This, of course, is what the Chennai Super Kings skipper’s diehard fans believe.

However, Dhoni, by his own admission, tries to keep things simple and does not try to overhaul the situation too much.

Concealed behind a tranquil mask, he, too, would feel as panicky as anybody when the going gets tough.

Of late, a few cracks on the visor have confirmed that Dhoni is as vulnerable. A case in point is the ongoing IPL, where Dhoni has given vent to his anger on a couple of occasions — his uncharacteristic outburst on teammates during the Pune Warriors fixture, was theatrical.

After suffering back-to-back defeats at home, it is obvious that Chennai are struggling. With just four wins from 10 matches (with one game being abandoned), it won’t be irrational to believe that Super Kings’ path to the semi-final is indeed going to be tough.

Post their most recent defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders, Dhoni was still searching for excuses. “The surface is not allowing us to play our strokes.

The spinners, meanwhile, need to come into their own. Most teams are doing well because of their spinners. It is not as if the pitch is bad but it is not suiting our strategy,” was the unconvincing proclamation he came up with during the post-match presentation.

Super Kings would do well to rework their approach at least in the remaining six matches. It is high time their star-studded middle-order lived up to its reputation.

R. Ashwin has been Dhoni’s key man; he needs to open the bowling irrespective of the total. Shadab Jakati has become too predictable and is easy fodder for the opponents — time to draft in someone with variety.

And the negative practice of picking a specialist bowler (V. Yo Mahesh) and giving him a solitary over, is another bug in the CSK basket. Meanwhile, coach Stephen Fleming is obviously a worried man these days. “We have known to be a consistent unit.

But, at present, there are a number of problems that need to be fixed. Struggling at home has been the most disappointing. It is a big wake-up call and I hope our team is back on the horse without wasting any further time,” said the Kiwi.